10. I do confidently believe,that though it be a thing very requi fite to publick peace and good order, that every feveral Chriftian fhould be ranged under fome particular Church,and every particular affembly to be fubordinate to fome higher Government, which may oversee & over rule them in the cafe of different opinions and mat ters of practise; yet that God hath not required, or commanded either of thefe upon neceffity of Salvation; fo as an Indian convert, in the remoteft part of the World believing in Chrift, may without relation to any Church whatsoever be faved; and a particular Church being Orthodox in the main principles of Religion, upon matter of litigious conteftation, flying off from fome more eminent Church under which it was ranked for Orders fake, however it may be faulty, in an undue divifion, yet is not hereby excluded from the capacity of falvation; fince fuch fleight jarrs, and unkindnesses in Churches, can no more fhut them out, from a common intereft in Chrift, then the like quarrels of a Paul and Barnabas, A&t. 15. 39. could keep either of them out of Heaven.

11. I do confidently believe, that all the particular National Churches, through the whole Chriftian World, are no other then Sifters, Daughters of the fame Father God; of the fame Mother, the Spiritual Jerufalem which is from above; fome of them are Elder Sifters, others Younger: Some more Tall and large fpread; others of lefs ftature, fome fairer in refpect of Holynefs of life and Orthodoxie of Judgment; others fouler in refpect of Corruptions, both of doctrine and manners; ftill Sifters; and if any of them fhall ufurpe a Miftrefs-fhip over the reft, or make her felf a Queen over them, and make them fubjects and flaves to her; or a Moherhood to the reft (otherwise then in a priority and aid of converfion) and make them, but Daughters and Punies to her; She fhall be guilty of an high Arrogance and Prefumption, againft Chrift and his dear Spouse, the Church; fince with the juft and holy God, there is no refpect of perfons or places, but in all Nations thofe that ferve him beft, are moft accepted of him.

12. From hence will follow this double Corollarie: First, That (as there is a kinde of natural equality in Sisterhood) no particular National Church can by right of any inftitution of God, challeng a commanding power over the reft, however fome one may have a precedency to other, in refpect, whether of more conftant

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Holynefs and fyncerity, or more speed of converfion; or of larger extent; or of that civil greatneffe, and preeminence of that State or Nation, wherein it is fetled; And upon this occafion may & muft improve and exercise her eminence, to the defence and furtherance of the weaker & more diftreffed:But if any particular National Church being lefs able to fufte in it felf, fhall agree voluntarily to fubmit her felf for orders fake and for fafety and protection) to the sway of one more famous and powerful, her ingagement doth justly binde her, fo far as lawfully it reacheth; viz. To accknowledg a priority of place, and to refpect her directions in matters of forme and outward Administration, fo long as they vary not from the rule, which God hath fet in his Church: But if that more potent Church fhall abuse that power and begin to exercise Tyranny over the weaker, by forceing upon her new and undue impofitions of faith, or intollerable infolencies in government; there is no law of God that binds that weaker Church fachar-like to lye down between two burdens, The may challenge and refume the right of a Sifter, and shake off the yoak of a flave, without the violation of any command of God; and not the injuried but the oppreffor is guilty of the breach of peace.

2. It will hence follow, that the relation of this common Sifterhood of all Chriftian Churches, jufly tyes all thofe that profeffe the name of Chrift, to a charitable regard of each to other: So as though there be in fome of them grofs errors in matters of Doctrine, and foul corruptions in matters of practife, yet whiles they hold and maintain, all the Articles of the fame Chriftian faith and acknowledge the fame Scriptures, the fubftance of the fame baptifme, and of the inflitution of the Holy Eucharift, they ceafe not to continue Sifters, notwithstanding their manifold enormities, and depravations; these are enough to deforme any Church, not enough to Dif-church it; Thefe are enough to impair the health, not to bereave the life; Howfoever therefore we must alwaics hate, and cry down their errors (which a wilful maintenance makes no leffe then damnable) yet we muft pity and pray for their Perfons, and by all good means, labour to bring them to an acknowledgment of the oppofed truth; and although I well know there is ill ufe made of our charity this way; by thofe willing mistakers who turne it to our difadvantage; that we pafs fo favourable cenfures upon their Churches,

ches,whiles they pafs fo cruel and mercilefs cenfures upon ours, yet my confcience bids me to fay that I cannot repent of this juft fentence wherein I know I fhall finde comfort in my appearance, before the dreadful Tribunal of God,when the uncharitablenefs and injustice of thefe bloody men, that fend their charitable oppofers to a remedileffe damnation, thall be adjudged to that Hell, which they have prefumptuously doomed unto others: As for them, let them fee how they can anfwer it to that jult Judge of the World in that great day, that they have prefumed to blot out of the book of life To many millions of faithful Chriftians, only for diffenting from them in fuch points as God never gave them warrant to impofe.

From the force then of this Relation it is eafily fubinfer'd that it is not lawful for Chriftian Churches, upon differences about points not effential to the faith either voluntarily to forfake the communion of each other, or forceably to abdicate and thruft out each other from their communion.There being the fame reafon in this behalf,of a Church,and a feveral Chriftian: As therefore one Christian not abandon another for differences of opinion in matters not neceffary to be believed; fo neither may one Church, upon fuch ground either leave or expel another, but if any fuch act be done, it is to be inquired both where the fault is, and what may be the Remedy.

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In a meer fimple dereliction of a Church thus differing, and fuppofed fo to err,the faults must needs be in the Church forfaking:But where the departure is accompanyed with fuch circumftances, as may be fuppofed to be incident in fuch cafes, there the state of the bufinefs may be altered, and the blame of either part, either taken off or aggravated. To inftance in the profecution of this Relation which we have in hand: Two Sifters are appointed by their Muther to looke to her house, the charge is given equally to both, the Mother is no fooner out of fight, then the Elder begins to domincer over the younger, and requires her to do fomething in the Family, which the conceives may tend to the prejudice of the common profit, and croffe the Mothers intention, the younger finding her felf grieved, with this carriage, and difliking the task injoyned, both forbears to do it and seriously expoftulates with her Sifter; laying before her the inconveniencies which will follow upon fuch an act; the Elder impatient of a contradiction, not only gives fharpe lan

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guage, but thrufts her Sifter out of doors; neither will admit her to come in again, except the fubmit her felf to her authority, and perform that chare which the formerly refused, the Younger holds off, as thinking the may not yield without wrong to herself, and to her Mothers Truft: The Sifters are now thus parted; but where is the blame? The Younger is gone away from the Elder; but she doth it upon the Elders violence; on the one fide, the had not gone if the had not been thruft out; on the other fide fhe had not been thruft out, if the had not refused to do the thing required; on the one fide, the Elder might not be fo imperious, nor in joyn a thing unfit; on the otherfide the Younger might not upon fuch a command voluntarily forfake the Elder; but if the Elder thall unjustly challenge fuch authority, and shall thereupon impofe unmeet fervices; and fhall put the Younger out of doors for not performing them, it is clear where the fault refts.

I appeal to God, and the confciences of all juft men,if this be not the ftate of the prefent differences, of the Romans and Reformed Churches; the remedy whereof muft therefore begin from those parties which have given caufe of the breach; if they fhall remit of their undue Height and Rigour, and be content, with those Moderate bounds which God hath fet them both for Doctrine, and Government, and yeild themselves but capable of error, there may be poffibility of Reunion, and Peace: But whiles they perfift to challenge an infallibility of judgment,and uncontrollablenefs of practife, they do wilfully block up the way to all reconciliation and concord, and ftand guilty of all that Grievous Schifm,under which the Church of God, thus long and miferably fuffers.

And this upon full deliberation, is my fetled and finall Refolution; concerning the main difference in Religion; wherein my foul. doth fo confidently reft; that I dare therewith boldly appear before the face of that great Judge of the Quick and Dead, as knowing it infallibly warranted by his own UNDOUBTED WORD.

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LETTER
TTEI

OF

ANSWER

TO AN

UNKNOWN COMPLAINANT, Concerning the Frequent Injecting of

TEMPTATIONS.

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He cafe whereof you complan is not more worthy of fecrecy then of pity; and yet in true judgment not fo haynous as you conceive it: Evil motions are caft into you, which yet you entertain not with confent: Let me affure you thefe are not your fins, but his that injects them: You may be (as you are) troubled with their importunity; but you are not tainted with their evil, whiles you diflike and hate them, and are grieved with their fuggeftion: That bold and futtle enemy of ours durft caft temptations into the Son of God himself, in whom yet he could finde nothing. It were wo withus, if leud motions (though repelled) fhould be imputed unto us: It is only our confent that brings them home to us,and makes them our fins ;were then these thoughts (as you fuppofe them) blafphemies; yet whiles your heart goes not with them, but abhorrs them, and ftrives against them, they may afflict you, they cannot hurt you: As Luther faid in the like cafe, Birds may fly over our heads, whether we will or no, but they cannot neftle in our hair unleffe we permit them. Take heart

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